Zubin Mehta

NEW YORK -- After 13 years, more than 1,000 concerts, about three dozen recordings, many nationwide telecasts and international tours, Zubin Mehta is taking his final bows as music director of the New York Philharmonic this month. He is doing so with quite a flourish in a program with a single work -- Arnold Schoenberg`s gargantuan Gurrelieder. The concert, which will be repeated on Tuesday, had its first performance on Thursday at Lincoln Center`s Avery Fisher Hall. It offered ample evidence of the strengths and weaknesses of the conductor who has led the orchestra longer than anyone else in this century.

Israeli classical pianist Roman Rabinovich, one of Israel's young performers on the rise, teams with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in concert Jan. 29 at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The concert is the second of two performances by the Haifa Symphony. The Haifa Symphony will also perform (without Rabinovich) at Kravis on Jan. 28 Making his debut on stage at age ten with conductor Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the 28-year-old Rabinovich gained fame for his enthusiastic playing with flair of the works of classical composers, such as Beethoven and Mozart.

The relationship between Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic is special. In 1981, he was named the orchestra`s music director for life, a designation few conductors achieve with any ensemble. It was easy to understand this closeness when the two made music on Thursday evening at West Palm Beach Auditorium, courtesy of the Regional Arts Foundation. Curiously, Mehta`s work as music director of the New York Philharmonic generally has been less than inspiring; he has held that post since 1977, and will resign in 1991.

It was almost inevitable that Zubin Mehta would negotiate the political hurdles necessary to enable the Israel Philharmonic to perform the music of Richard Strauss. Mehta's lifetime appointment as music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra - the only honor of its kind in recent history - came after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. At a time when Israel's international standing was at an all-time low, and the country itself was bitterly divided, Mehta canceled engagements elsewhere to conduct the philharmonic.

Israeli classical pianist Roman Rabinovich, one of Israel's young performers on the rise, teams with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in concert Jan. 29 at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The concert is the second of two performances by the Haifa Symphony. The Haifa Symphony will also perform (without Rabinovich) at Kravis on Jan. 28 Making his debut on stage at age ten with conductor Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the 28-year-old Rabinovich gained fame for his enthusiastic playing with flair of the works of classical composers, such as Beethoven and Mozart.

It was almost inevitable that Zubin Mehta would negotiate the political hurdles necessary to enable the Israel Philharmonic to perform the music of Richard Strauss. Mehta's lifetime appointment as music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra - the only honor of its kind in recent history - came after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. At a time when Israel's international standing was at an all-time low, and the country itself was bitterly divided, Mehta canceled engagements elsewhere to conduct the philharmonic.

Zubin Mehta, the Indian-born conductor and celebrity, will resign his post as music director of the New York Philharmonic when his current contract expires at the end of the 1990-91 season. In his terse official statement, Mehta, 52, said he was stepping down to "pursue other artistic endeavors which have to do with less administrative activity than that with which a music director is usually involved." The announcement, made last Wednesday, has set off plenty of speculation about his replacement.

ABC`s coverage of Liberty Weekend peaks tonight with a Classical Musical Salute to Liberty (8 p.m., WPLG-Ch. 10, WPEC-Ch. 12), featuring the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Among the artists scheduled to perform with the Philharmonic are tenor Placido Domingo, violinist Itzhak Perlman and mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. The setting is the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York; Kirk Douglas and Angela Lansbury are the hosts. ABC, which fell to third place in the ratings last season, paid a bundle for the broadcast rights to the Statue of Liberty festivities, and turned the project over to showman David L. Wolper.

Fifty years ago, a Polish violinist named Bronislaw Huberman brought together a group of musicians in the Middle East to form the Palestine Symphony. No less a luminary than Arturo Toscanini conducted its first concert in Tel Aviv. In 1948, when Israel was founded, the orchestra was there to play the new state`s national anthem; since then, the Israel Philharmonic has been an invaluable cultural ambassador. The ensemble will be in Miami Beach this week as part of its Golden Anniversary Tour, conducted by Zubin Mehta, the orchestra`s music director for life.

NEW YORK -- After 13 years, more than 1,000 concerts, about three dozen recordings, many nationwide telecasts and international tours, Zubin Mehta is taking his final bows as music director of the New York Philharmonic this month. He is doing so with quite a flourish in a program with a single work -- Arnold Schoenberg`s gargantuan Gurrelieder. The concert, which will be repeated on Tuesday, had its first performance on Thursday at Lincoln Center`s Avery Fisher Hall. It offered ample evidence of the strengths and weaknesses of the conductor who has led the orchestra longer than anyone else in this century.

The relationship between Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic is special. In 1981, he was named the orchestra`s music director for life, a designation few conductors achieve with any ensemble. It was easy to understand this closeness when the two made music on Thursday evening at West Palm Beach Auditorium, courtesy of the Regional Arts Foundation. Curiously, Mehta`s work as music director of the New York Philharmonic generally has been less than inspiring; he has held that post since 1977, and will resign in 1991.

Zubin Mehta, the Indian-born conductor and celebrity, will resign his post as music director of the New York Philharmonic when his current contract expires at the end of the 1990-91 season. In his terse official statement, Mehta, 52, said he was stepping down to "pursue other artistic endeavors which have to do with less administrative activity than that with which a music director is usually involved." The announcement, made last Wednesday, has set off plenty of speculation about his replacement.

Soprano Montserrat Caballe has canceled her scheduled benefit appearance with the Israel Philharmonic in Miami Beach March 7 reportedly due to the flu. She will be replaced by violinist Itzhak Perlman, who will perform Tchaikovsky`s Violin Concerto. The orchestra, conducted by its music director, Zubin Mehta, also will perform Tchaikovsky`s Pathetique Symphony as originally announced. Noted tenor Placido Domingo, who will give a rare concert March 17 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami for the JND Concert Foundation, will be joined for the occasion by soprano Virginia Alonzo and mezzo-soprano Marta Senn.

The Regional Arts Series at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach has earned a reputation for bringing the world's finest classical musicians, chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras to the area. And while the center's new season doesn't begin until November, a limited number of individual tickets for the 15 Regional Art Series performances are on sale now. The series begins with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin at 8 p.m. Nov. 13. Other presentations will include well-known artists.